


Quiet Me

by firerwolf



Series: Spartan Love: After Dark [6]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 05:26:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6182317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firerwolf/pseuds/firerwolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kathleen is riled up, but Fred's found a way to calm her down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quiet Me

Kathleen paced back and forth across the room, having done so for the last twenty minutes. For the most part her words were lost to Fred. He'd heard all her complaints about ONI before and nothing had changed - only what had triggered her rant this time was different. She'd made a request to work security on an upcoming peace summit with the Sangheili, but had been turned down. She hadn't been given a reason for being declined, so her mind had gone to work, instantly blaming some shady purpose of ONI. Fred wasn't sure how much of what she said was simply due to paranoia and how much was actually based on actions of the intelligence agency, but for Kathleen they were the shadow behind everything bad that happened these days. He was starting to worry about it, but whenever he asked her about why she didn't trust them she clammed up and wouldn't tell him anything, just insist he let it go.

"There is no logical reason for them to deny my request," Kathleen asserted as she made another pass of the room. Fred wasn't paying attention at all at this point; and occupied himself with watching her ass as she walked away and her chest as she walked back. She didn't notice, still caught up in her tirade. She stopped and Fred looked up to see that she'd finally noticed is inattention and was now glaring at him. "Would you take this seriously?" she snapped.

Fred sighed and sat up from where he was laying on the bed. "You know when you had pulled me aside into empty quarters with a good sized bed, I had expected maybe some cuddling or making out...not you ranting about ONI," Fred admitted. "Excuse me if I'm less thrilled with your actual intentions." Fred was annoyed that she'd gotten his hopes up, and instead wanted to fume about how she couldn't see that damned Sangheili friend of hers.

"Fred, this is not something to joke about," Kathleen scolded, crossing her arms. "This is troubling, illogical, and it indicates a pattern."

"I'm not joking," Fred corrected her. "I really thought you wanted to cuddle or something." Fred sat up on the bed and rubbed at his temple in frustration. "It's a pattern only you see."

Kathleen let out a long breath. "I wish Blade was here, he understands," she said as she returned to pacing. "The war should be long over, but we're still fighting; even though we're supposedly trying to make peace."

This was the part of her argument that Fred admitted had some traction. In the years since the war ended, the fighting just never seemed to stop. Sure it wasn't the struggle for survival it used to be, but UNSC forces were still fending off splinter Covenant groups. It felt like no progress had been made and it was worrisome. Kathleen was silent for a little while, and Fred knew that she was going through her own thoughts that she refused to share with him. He was sure if she would just tell him more about what was bothering her he might actually understand, but she was a brick wall.

"Why wouldn't they want the ODSS, the human troops the Arbiter trusts the most, to be on security? Why are we _never_ security for things like this? It's not like they've given us something important to do in the meantime," Kathleen continued to grouse.

Fred knew that she would go on for hours and hours if he let her, not that he'd found a way to stop her yet. He did wish she'd stop bringing up the half-faced Sangheili though. He hated hearing about Blade, and it only made him more annoyed. "Come lay down with me," he suggested, earning himself a glare from Kathleen. Fred sighed as she turned back to her pacing and grumbling to herself. Fred tugged absently at his shirt, the room was feeling a bit stuffy. He decided that if he was going to be stuck here until she finished he might as well be comfortable, and pulled his shirt off. He decided to remove his undershirt as well for good measure. He looked over to Kathleen and found that she'd stopped again. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"What are you doing?" Kathleen questioned in return.

"I'm getting comfortable," Fred answered, as though it was obvious. "It's hot in here, so I took my shirt off." Kathleen just stared at him for a moment before she started pacing again. Fred was curious about her reaction just now - what he'd done had distracted her enough to get her to halt her ranting. Fred stood from the bed and moved to stand in the path of her pacing, deciding to try something new.

Kathleen stopped and stared at his chest for a second before she looked up to his face. "What now?"

"I know you need to vent this kind of thing Kathleen, but is this really accomplishing anything? I follow what you're saying up to the point where you refuse to give me the actual details, which seem to be the root of this paranoia about ONI. But since I don't have that root, I don't get where all this comes from or why you jump to these conclusions. It just sounds like you're being resentful simply for being denied your requests. I just…I wish you would tell me so this would make sense and I could understand." Fred reached out and touched her waist but she pushed his hand away. "Why won't you tell me?"

"For your own safety," Kathleen answered, already annoyed by the subject. "Why should I need to tell you everything? Can't you trust me?"

"I love you, Kathleen, but you're asking me to trust a group that's been our enemies for decades and fear a group that's always been our allies." Fred didn't think it was that illogical for him to have doubts, even if it was Kathleen that was telling him all this. "It's simply asking a lot."

"Blade is not an enemy. But the rebels are, just as they are also part of humanity. I can't believe that you'd let your jealousy cause you not to trust him. If it weren't for Blade, I'd be dead," Kathleen defended.

"It's also because of a Sangheili that you nearly died on your last mission, and didn't Blade try to kill you at one point as well?" Fred countered.

"That Sangheili was an enemy, not a friend, and Blade had been an enemy back when we fought as well. But he's not anymore, so you should let it go." Kathleen took a step toward him in a threatening manner but Fred doubted she'd actually attack him over this. Or so he hoped, at least. "How can we move forward if we can't forget the past?"

Fred didn't argue against her, just stared at the woman before him. It always surprised him how much she'd changed over the years. His second-in-command, who'd often held grudges against opponents for weeks on end during training, had become a voice for letting go of hatred for the Covenant.

Fred decided to let the Covenant side of the issue drop; she wasn't going to change her view on it anytime soon. Blade had his claws in too deep, and he knew Kathleen was fiercely loyal - it was a part of her that he loved. Instead he chose to focus on the human side of the issue. "You're still asking me to blindly vilify a human organization that has only ever helped me and made things better."

"Do you really think they've made anything better? That they did any of it to help you? The only thing ONI cares about is power and advancing human dominance. How can you not see that?" Kathleen asked.

"Because I have no cause to believe any of that. They gave us our training, our augmentations, and our armor. How have they not helped us?"

"Not everyone wanted to be augmented," Kathleen snapped. Fred was surprised by that information, having never considered that a Spartan wouldn't have wanted the augmentations. She had always been an outlier among the Spartan-IIs though, so if anyone was going to have issue with the augmentations it would be her. Still he really couldn't understand why someone would regret having super strength, sight, and hearing. "What?" Kathleen asked.

"I didn't know you were unhappy with the augmentations," Fred answered truthfully. "I guess I always figured you'd like it, and the armor; having the ability to flip a tank, bend metal with ease, and all the other perks."

"This has nothing to do with me, Fred. How can you not get that?" Kathleen rolled her eyes and turned to walk away from him. Fred was irked by her dismissal of him, and in a knee-jerk reaction decided to stop her. He reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. "Fred, let go," Kathleen demanded.

"No," Fred responded, holding her tighter. "Kathleen, I can't just blindly distrust a group that gave me everything I've ever needed, and made me the man I am today. Not without a good reason." Kathleen's elbow then collided with his side and Fred released her. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing at where she'd struck him.

Kathleen moved to stand before him, her face serious as she leaned closer. "ONI didn't make you who you are, _you_ did that. And don't you ever try to give them credit for that ever again. They don't deserve to claim responsibility for making you the man you are." Fred didn't understand what she meant at first, trying to figure out exactly how she was insulting him. Oddly enough he couldn't find the slight though, and if he didn't know any better he'd think she was actually praising him. "ONI made your armor, and augmented you, but they didn't make you who you are. They gave John all the same things, but you aren't him. They gave you and I the same training, but we aren't the same person. Who you are, what you've made of yourself, is one hundred percent _you_." Kathleen paused for a moment before she added one last thought. "Who you are as a person is the one thing ONI can't change; they can't take that away from you and replace with something else through science."

Fred furrowed his brow, still not sure what to make of her words. There was something about the way she'd said them that he'd never heard before, a sort of unbending authority to them that he envied. She was standing before him, back rigid, and speaking to him like he was under her command. He wondered if this was the stance, the tone she took up when talking to her troops. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt, but what exactly is the insult?" he finally asked. "Are you saying that me being weak is my own fault? Or saying that my inability to lead is my fault?"

"By the rings, you're stupid," Kathleen groaned, rolling her eyes. "What part of what I said was an insult?" She took a deep breath before continuing. "You're getting off point. The fact is that the augmentations, the armor, even the SPARTAN program as a whole wasn't for you. It wasn't to help you, it was all for ONI. They don't care about you as anything other than a successful result of the project. You think they batted an eye at all the Spartans who died from the augmentations? Do you really think they care that Sheila, Joshua, or Will are dead? Because they don't. They only care that the Spartans are seen as a success, because it reflects positively on them and it gives them more authority. Suddenly they aren't just the responsible for making new tech, they're also the ones that responsible for producing the saviors of humanity." There was a tint of disgust to Kathleen's voice. "Are you so blind that you really think they give a shit what happens to you? All you are to them is a Spartan, that's it. You're propaganda that's used to dupe more people to join the Spartan-IV program."

"I thought you approved of the Spartan-IVs." Fred could have sworn she'd spoken highly of the five initial recruits to the new program, but now she seemed to be bad mouthing them.

"I like the ones they have now, but it isn't going to stay that way. Come on, Fred, you have to be able to look ahead." Kathleen frowned at him, seeming genuinely disappointed. "The current five were chosen by Musa, who understands that they had to have long-standing and impressive records. But once word gets out, do you really think he's going to keep control over the selection progress? Hell no. Someone of a higher rank will fill it with his men to make a name for himself; or Parangosky will take full command, someone that has no real understanding of what it takes for a soldier to succeed in actual combat. Soon the program will be full of three kinds of people. The first kind being pilots and medics, the group that jump at the idea of being a Spartan but are shitty in a real fight. They'll just want the title of 'Spartan', without understanding the legacy that comes with it. Then will come the soldiers who managed one act of competence in in a battle, and suddenly they're accepted. The rest of their career will be unimpressive, but they'll be let in all the same. They're the people who aren't at all qualified or capable of handling the responsibility, they're just not worthy of the title. Then there's the worst kind, the ones that will ruin the project. The politically chosen. Those that had strings pulled to get accepted and haven't done anything to deserve it. They're spoiled brats who see 'Spartan' as a title to use as a pick-up line at a bar. They're also the most likely to be advanced to leading other Spartans; but rather than seeing it as a solemn duty, they'll just treat it as something to flaunt while at a dinner party." This subject seemed to really annoy Kathleen in a way Fred hadn't really seen before.

Fred looked her up and down and realized that her entire posture had changed. Her body was unusually tense, her shoulders pulled back, and her features serious. She was angry, that much was clear; but it wasn't the same type of unfocused-angry he was familiar with. He knew she would go on for even longer now that he'd branched out on the subjects for her to rant about. He knew that he'd have to do something to end this, but he couldn't really explain why he took the action he did. His hand moved to her neck and held her in place as he moved in close and kissed her. He pulled away and braced for any retaliation.

"Why'd you do that?" Kathleen asked, brow furrowed. "If you're trying to get me to shut up, it's not going to work."

"I wasn't trying to quiet you, Angel," Fred assured her. "I was just looking at you and you are just so…so sexy. I couldn't help myself." He kissed her again and placed his hands on her waist. "You've become such an amazing woman and I just have no self-control. You're just…you've grown so much from when we were trainees."

"Well I did get a bit taller," Kathleen admitted. "But you never used to think I was sexy enough to kiss randomly. If I remember correctly, you used to fear me."

"I was never afraid of you, just wary of angering you unnecessarily." Fred pulled her closer to him until their bodies touched. "You've done more than get taller. You've grown more curves, you've become more graceful, and you've matured. The young, violent girl I knew has become a woman who is perfect."

"There's nothing perfect about me," Kathleen countered.

Fred quickly kissed her again before she could argue further. "Now I'm trying to make you shut up," he said before pressing his lips back to hers to cut off any rebuttal she might have come up with. "When we were kids you clung to grudges like a security blanket. But here you are, defending the Sangheili." Again he had to cut her off with a kiss to keep her from fighting his words. "You used to only care about the next part of the mission, but now you're arguing about things that may not happen until decades in the future. Not to mention I think you complemented me for the first time ever."

"I've complemented you before," Kathleen disputed. "You just don't listen properly. You must be soft in the head, that's why you think I'm perfect. Nothing and no one is perfect."

"But that's exactly what makes you perfect," Fred replied. "You may not be perfect in the literal sense, but you are the perfect _you_ ," he tried to explain. "Everyone has flaws, but it's the flaws and the good parts that make us human. You're violent, suspicious, and reckless - but that's perfect for who you are. You wouldn't be a good ODST if you weren't all those things. Even if it means that sometimes you insult me, and that I feel like I'm fighting an alien for your love, I wouldn't change a thing about you."

"You are so soft," Kathleen commented as she rolled her eyes. "Soft in the head, soft of the heart, and with a soft body to boot."

"I'm not as soft as I used to be. Now I'm rock hard," Fred argued, pulling her tighter to him. To his confusion Kathleen started laughing, but he was sure he hadn't said anything funny. She continued to laugh and the fact that he didn't understand was really starting to annoy him. "Stop laughing," Fred demanded, but she just continued. "What's so funny?" Again she ignored him, her amusement only becoming more confusing. He decided to retaliate and wrapped his arms tight around her waist and lifted her up. To his disappointment this seemed to only make her laugh more. Fred carried her over to the bed and pinned her down against the mattress. His mouth moved to her neck and he kissed at her throat, able to feel the vibrations of her voice.

"Fred, what are you doing?" Kathleen asked, her laughter subsiding.

"You won't stop laughing, so I'm just going to have to make you make other noises," Fred explained, settling into place above her. His teeth lightly grazed her skin, teasing just a little bit.

"I was laughing because you made a joke you didn't understand," Kathleen explained, her laughter having turned to a chuckle under his attention. "You're so innocent."

"I'm not innocent," Fred refuted, grinding his hips against hers. This again seemed to make her laugh. "What? What is it that's so funny?" he asked as he pulled away and frowned at her.

"Rock hard," Kathleen answered, as though that made it all clear. Fred still didn't understand what the joke was and she seemed to realize this. He wasn't expecting the hand that slid between them and cupped his groin. "You aren't rock hard, you're soft and flaccid," she explained. She smirked as she started to massage him slowly. "Although I could change that."

Fred moaned as she stroked him through the cloth, burying his face against her shoulder. "Don't tease," he managed between deep breaths.

"I don't tease without intent," Kathleen whispered as she let one of her hands move up his back. "You're the one that isn't man enough to let it be more than teasing."

Usually Fred would ignore the insult, disregard the challenge. But for some reason he decided to rise to the bait. "Not man enough, am I?" he said as he pushed his hips toward her hand and his mouth moved to hers. Fred had expected it would take a lot of buildup to get things moving between them - but with her mouth against his and her hand rubbing against him, the effect was instantaneous. Fred reached down and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand away. Before Kathleen could complain Fred pushed his groin against hers, his mouth moving to her jaw.

Kathleen clung to him, her hips rising to meet his with each motion. "Now you're the one that better not be teasing," Kathleen said, her hands moving to his back and digging in just a little bit.

Fred bit back the moan of pleasure brought on by the slight pain. In response he moved his hands to her shirt and pulled up. Kathleen sat up enough so he could pull it off. As soon as her flesh was exposed and the clothing flung to the side, Fred's hand moved to the unexplored area. His fingers eagerly mapped out her skin, finding and tracing scars while his mouth moved along her neck. Kathleen squirmed toward his hands wherever they roamed, her fingers scratching at his scalp just a little and her hips pushing up toward him. He decided to be a little brave and pushed the fabric of her bra aside to explore her chest.

Kathleen pulled the garment the rest of the way off and forced Fred to lift his face away from her neck. It did give him the opportunity to dip down and turn more of his attention to her breasts. It had been decades since they'd had this level of intimate contact, so he was savoring every kiss and every touch while he could. Although Kathleen had stated before now that she was open to sex, she hadn't shown that she would be allowing things to progress any further. It was a big step forward, and they were trying to ease into things after all. He slowed the movement of his hips, focusing more on his hands and mouth at the moment.

Kathleen's nails clawed a little harder at his scalp as he latched onto her chest while her other hand scratched down his back. Her back arched up toward him, urging him to apply more force, and Fred obliged. He was so focused on her breasts that he didn't notice when her hand moved from his back to his belt. Fred felt her tug at his waistband but ignored it. He was caught off guard as she slipped her hand into his undergarments, and for the first time in thirty years, her fingers touched his cock. Fred pulled away from her and looked down to the hand that was tucked in his pants. The action was relatively small, yet the meaning behind it was anything but. Because of his position touching was all she could do, but from the way her fingers were gently shifting over the sensitive flesh it was clear she was looking for more.

Fred paused for a moment before he let his hands move to her belt and he unbuckled it. Kathleen sat up slightly, which allowed her to reach him better and wrap her fingers fully around him, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from Fred. In his own form of retaliation, Fred slipped his hand down the front of Kathleen's pants as well and rubbed against her opening to tease her back. Kathleen let out a sound between a moan and a sigh of relief - like a burn victim that was finally allowed to pour water on a searing wound. Fred had always figured it would take a lot of time before he and Kathleen would be ready for sex, or at least for it to feel right. But with that one little touch, and that moan, the ball had started rolling and it would only gain speed.

Kathleen's hips pushed up toward Fred's hand and she started to stroke him. "Looks like someone finally grew some balls," Kathleen teased, her hand releasing him and sliding down to cup his testicles. "But it takes more than a couple nuts to make a man."

Fred knew she was challenging him again, and once again he decided to go along with her. He was also surprised at how much force he found himself willing to use, feeling powerful with Kathleen pinned under him. He set his free hand against her shoulder and pushed her down on the mattress, which forced her to release him as he became out of reach. Fred shifted away a little more to be sure she couldn't touch him, and he slipped just the tip of his finger down until he found her opening. "I'll show you who's a man," he said in a low voice before he pushed his finger into her. Kathleen moaned and her hips moved to force him deeper in.

Fred moved his finger just a little, watching the way her hands gripped the sheets and her breathing became heavier. He tried to move his hand more, but her pants and his position made it impossible. He slipped his hand away from her and Kathleen raised her head to glare down at him. "Why are you stopping?" Fred didn't answer with words but rather grabbed the waist of her pants and tugged them down. Kathleen's protests stopped and she tried to shift herself so it would be easier for him to remove the clothing.

Fred pulled her pants all the way off before he removed his own pants and underwear. Kathleen sat and Fred climbed onto the bed enough to push her back down."Stay," he instructed.

"Like hell," Kathleen countered, sitting up again. Fred decided not to pick a fight over it, letting her have her share of the power in their activity. Instead he turned to pulling her underwear down. He pulled them down her legs, placing kisses along her skin as he did so. And once he had them off he kissed his way back up, switching legs every so often.

Fred kissed her left and right hip before he stopped and moved down a bit lower. He kissed the space between her legs, earning a short intake of breath from Kathleen. Fred looked up to her and she was watching him, waiting to see what he'd do next. He kissed the spot again but he moved his lips against the sensitive flesh, this time rewarded with a moan from the marine. She was clearly enjoying it, so he decided to continue; letting his kisses become deeper each time, letting it progress as it would if he were kissing her mouth. His tongue slipped out and he was met with a taste he'd never encountered before, and he liked it. Kathleen's hand ran through his hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp to indicate she approved. Fred didn't need to be told twice, he was enticed by the taste and wanted more.

Fred ran his tongue over the area, getting a full taste of her while her fingers twisted into his hair and her second hand joined the first. He threw himself fully into exploring this new activity, finding out what made her nails dig in and what made her thrust her hips toward him. He was wrapped up in his actions, his face buried between her legs, and just listening to her chorus of moans. He couldn't get enough of the taste, lapping it up hungrily until Kathleen pulled on his hair too roughly. "Ow," he complained, lifting away from her sex.

"Cock, now," Kathleen demanded, tugging again. " _Now_ ," she repeated, but more forcefully.

Fred climbed up and let Kathleen pull him down for a deep kiss, aligning his body with hers. Fred moaned into the kiss as she wrapped her hand around him gently and guided him into position. Once he was in place her hand moved back to his ass and pulled him toward her. Kathleen moaned as Fred thrust forward, savoring each sensation as he sunk deep into his lover. Once he was fully inside her he paused, letting her move into a more comfortable position. "I forgot how glorious you feel," he said, kissing her deeply again while he shifted his hands on the bed to make sure he'd have solid leverage.

Kathleen kissed along his throat until she reached his ear. "Fuck me, Fred, and don't you dare hold back." She kissed him again, her hands gripping his ass tightly for a moment before they moved to his back. Fred started to move, slowly at first, getting a feel for what range of motion he'd have for his thrusts. Kathleen was patient, for a time, until she got tired of his slow pace and she started to thrust up toward him to bring them together more quickly. Not wanting to be outdone, Fred sped up; his mouth hungrily kissing her in small spurts between heavy breaths. He increased his pace bit by bit, and then switched to shorter thrusts so he could use more force. Kathleen stopped trying to keep up, and just let him take control while her nails scratched at his back, urging him to go faster. Lost in his own pleasure, Fred was surprised when his climax suddenly hit him and he spilled himself into her. She wasn't too far behind him, her body gripping him tightly as she came.

Once their motions slowed to a stop, Fred pulled out of her and let himself settle beside her as he caught his breath. "That…that was…" He struggled to find a word that seemed to fit how wonderful that had felt.

"Where did you learn that thing? The things you did with your mouth." Kathleen rolled over and set her forehead against his chest.

"I just enjoyed it," Fred admitted truthfully, draping an arm over her. "I just wanted to kiss that area, you seemed to like it, and when I got a taste I couldn't stop." His hand moved along her spine absently. "You've got an addictive taste."

"Well I'd disagree about that, but if you like it enough to do that again I'm not going to complain." Kathleen wrapped an arm around him and pulled herself closer to his chest. "Worth the wait."

Fred slipped an arm under her, hugged her close, and rolled onto his back so that she was on top of him. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said." Kathleen lay limp on him, cheek resting on his chest. "I'm so glad I have you back again."

Kathleen just lay on his chest, eyes closed and listening to the rhythm of his breathing. "Can you really not just trust me blindly about ONI?" she asked out of the blue.

Fred sighed, annoyed that she'd brought it back up again. "Kathleen, can't you let that go? We don't really have an option; we have to work with them." He didn't understand why she wouldn't just drop the subject.

"Can you at least promise me you'll be cautious with them and the orders they give you, then?" Kathleen wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "I don't want to lose you because they screw up."

Fred hugged her tighter to his chest and sighed. "I promise to be careful," he assured her, hoping to put her fears at ease. He couldn't really be mad at her for worrying about him; in the end he was glad she thought him worthy of that level of concern. "I'll still have to work with them, but I'll keep a healthy suspicion."

"Fine," Kathleen reluctantly accepted, for once choosing not to fight him. "Sorry I scratched your back up so much," she added.

Fred had to admit he felt a slight sting as his back rested against the sheets of the bed. However it was hardly enough to cause him any genuine discomfort. "It's alright," he assured her. "I liked it."

"I thought so," Kathleen said, cuddling up a bit more to his chest. "Don't know where your fetish for pain came from though."

"Really?" Fred asked with genuine surprise. "I love a woman who's favorite past time is beating up her best friend. Where ever did I get this connection between pain and pleasure?" He smiled and chuckled slightly, his hand starting to trail along her spine.

"I don't know. Maybe it was always there, and once you got a taste the hunger just rose up." Kathleen ran her hand over his chest, letting herself sink into his warmth. Fred let the conversation drop off, the room falling silent except for the light sound of the two soldiers' breathing.


End file.
